Binding-post.



F. P. MANSBENDIEL."

BINDING POSTi APPLICATION FILED MAY I0, I9l6- Patented Apr. 39,, 1918,

' @IvwemIoz tor which the post will take. The clamping FRITZ P. MANSBENDEL, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

marine-roar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1916. Serial No. 96AM.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that FRITZ P. MANsBnNDnn, a

former citizen of the German Empire, and

who'has declared his intention of becoming an American citizen, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, has invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Binding-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to binding posts, as

.employed in connection with electrical apparatus, for securing an electrical conductor.

It has for its object a binding post which will receive and securelyv hold a conductor of any cross-section, or a stranded conductor, and a fine and light conductor equally as well as the largest and heaviest conducsprings and the like are dispensed with; and,

adjustment for different sizeconductors is drawal of the said conductor.

cap. The contact surfaces, moreover, maybe readily refinished, in case of wear, with-- out affecting the efficiency of the clamping. The invention has for a further object to so design the binding post that the same will present a smooth and unbroken surface, and be provided with but .a single opening or passageway for the insertion of the conductor, which opening will present no mechanical obstruction to the insertion or with- The post, also, presents no exposed thread, and is rendered dirt and dust proof. lit is so designed, furthermore, that the head or cap of the post cannot be twisted ofi' or bent, and that the tightening or loosening by the turning of the head maybe effected without injuring the fingers.

The nature of the invention will be best understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved binding post.

correspondingly. reciprocated b Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections therethrough taken at'right angles to each other.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modifications.

All the views, moreover, show the post partly open and clamping a conductor; and similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

. Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the body portion or post proper, arranged for attachment in any suitable manner and provided at its upper end with screw threads which are adapted to receive a cap 11 mounted over the outer end of said post. This cap is correspondingly threaded internally oven its inner portion with substantially the same number of threads as the post. The post 10, moreover, is provided with a diametrically-cut longitudinal slot 1 1, the bottom of which forms one ofthe contact sur- Patented Apr, 340, T91.

faces and may be of any desired shape. In

this slot is adapted to be reciprocated a suitable slide 12 whose inner surface is adapted to form the other of the contact surfaces and conforms to the shape of the bottom surface of the slot, the two said surfaces being designed to form therein the opening or pas-v sageway for a conductor 16, which may be securely held between the same, as hereinafter set forth. A large surface engagement is thereby obtained, insuring positive contact. readily edected by merely turning a screw To insure the desired pressure upon the conductor 16, to securely retain the same in the post, as well as to admit of retracting the slide 12 to permit of the removal of the said conductor, the slide is arranged to be rotatably holding the same by the cap 1]. in any wellknown manner. For example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the slide 12 may be swiveled in the top of the cap as by a swivel 13; or, as shown in Fig. a, an annular recess 17 may be formed in the upper portion of the cap into which may be snapped two spring lugs 18 provided at the outer corners of the slide 12 and obtained by longitudinally slotting the said slide. The slide may also be rotatably held by the cap, as indicated in Fig- 5, wherein-the inner end ofv same is shown as provided with laterally-extending ears 19, over which the lower edge of a protecting sleeve or apron 15 is crimped. The said cap is thus arranged to bear against the slide; and, by screwing down the cap 11,the said slide is forced inwardly to bottom in the slot, the desired pressure being exerted upon the conductor 16 by correspondingly rotating the said cap. Suflicient clearance may be left between the slotted end of the post 10 and the inner surface of the cap top 11 to permit of taking up for any wear. To retract the slide for the 'purpose of efiecting the removal of the conductor 16, it is necessary merely to reverse the direction of rotation of the cap 11.

As shown, the wall of.the cap 11 is extended over the post, being in the nature of a sleeve or apron l5, and extends a sufficient distance to prevent the threads of the post from becoming exposed duringany stage of the retraction of the slide 12. The portion of the said slide 12 beyond the threaded portion of cap 11 is widened to occupy the space of the unthreaded or apron portion of said cap so that, in conjunction with the post 10, a sufficiently tight fit to protect the threads against the entrance of dust and dirt is provided for, as well as a suitable housing for,

the same, whereby a satisfactory adjustment is insured. The apron, furthermore, acts as a guide tothe slide, as against any lateral motion of the same. It will be evident that, in withdrawing the conductor from the slot opening, there are no obstructions therein to catch or injure the said conductor, as is the case with the ordinary binding posts now in general use wherein the conductor has become deformed by the action of the screw stem and jammed in the passageway.

I claim:

1. A binding post, comprising: a body portion longitudinally slotted from oneend and externally threaded at said slotted end; a screw cap internally threaded over its inner portion to fit the corresponding threaded end of the body portion, and having an extending sleeve portion fitting over said body portion to provide a protecting apron over same; and a slide rotatably held by said cap, confined for reciprocation in said slot and adapted to bottom therein to clamp thereby a conductor when the screw cap is turned in one direction, and to be retracted to release the same when turned in the opposite direction.

2. A binding post, comprising: a body portion longitudinally slotted from one end and externally threaded at said slotted end; a screw cap internally threaded over its inner portion to fit the corresponding threaded end of the body portion, and having an extending sleeve portion fitting over said body portion to provide a protecting apron over same; and a slide rotatably held by said cap, the portion thereof below the threaded portion of the cap being of the full width of the body portion to occupy the unthreaded portion of the said apron, the said slide, furthermore, being confined for reciprocation in said slot and adapted to bottom therein to clamp thereby a conductor when the screw cap is turned in one direction, and to be retracted to release the same when turned in the opposite direction.

Signed at New! York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 9th day of May, A. D. 1916.

FRITZ P. MANSBENDEL. 

